Man Refuses to Let Elderly Mother Live with Him If She Brings Her 2 Cats: ‘I’m Allergic, I Can’t Stand Having Animals Around’

A man has found himself in a bit of a hairy situation now that his elderly mother wants to move back in with him — with two kittens and a puppy in tow.

In a post on Reddit‘s “Am I the A——” forum, the man began by explaining that after his wife died eight years ago, his mother sold her house and the pair purchased a new house together so she could help care for his then-infant son. At the time, his mother brought with her two cats and two dogs, all of whom were “old and had been with her since they were kittens/puppies.”

With four animals running around, the man recalled their home environment being “very hectic” and also uncomfortable for him, as he’s “fairly allergic” to cats. But after six years of the trio living together, the Redditor got a reprieve when his mother met a man and moved across the country to be with him.

Six months ago, the man said, his mother began talking about getting two kittens and two puppies to replace her four older pets who had since died. Hearing this, he urged her to “really think hard about it” and also consider whether her relationship “would last because I refuse to live with a cat.”

“I told her I would never live with a cat again,” he insisted. “I’m allergic, I hate litter boxes, I can’t stand having a bunch of animals running around our small house.”

It seems the mother went ahead with her plans and got a puppy three months ago, followed by two kittens shortly after. And then, two weeks ago, her boyfriend broke up with her, saying “the puppy was too stressful for him and she had to leave.”

Now, the man’s mother has informed him she is returning to their joint home and bringing the pets with her. “But I told her NO cats,” he reiterated in his post, before sharing his mother’s response.

“My mother says she sold her house to move in with me and help me raise my son, and I’m trying to deny her what makes her happy. She says she will keep the cats in her (small) room. She doesn’t have money for another home,” the man concluded his post, asking fellow Redditors, “AITA [am I the a——] for refusing to live with these cats?”

In the comments, a number of people accused the man’s mother of being “selfish” and disregarding his comfort and health.

“As a fellow human who is also very allergic to cats, I applaud your firmness is saying ‘no’. We are talking about your health here. Non-allergic people just don’t get how horrible it is to live with allergies, and have to be under the same roof with the cause of those allergies,” one person wrote, suggesting, “For every argument she gives about the cats, counter with, ‘Don’t you care about me, about my health?’ “

Someone else chimed in: “I don’t understand a mother insisting on bringing anything into a house where their child is allergic.”

Still, others argued that since the mother co-owns the house, she has rights. “You cannot tell her what to bring or not to the house she co-owns. If you don’t want cats, sell the house and give her back her money so she can buy a place for herself,” one person commented.

“Although she is being irresponsible and should consider your allergies, I don’t think legally you can keep her from living in a house she part owns with her pets,” another person agreed. “Could be time to consider selling and splitting the proceeds since you don’t want to live together anymore.”

A few commenters shared their opinions that the man was being unfair to his mom, especially since she stepped right in to help when his wife died.

“Your mother gives up HER home to keep YOUR child AND she owns half of the house herself. But you feel it’s okay to impose your restrictions on her. Not cool. It’s not like you are going into anaphylactic shock because of the cats,” one Redditor wrote, suggesting there are steps the man could take in the name of compromise for his mother.

“If you’re allergic to cats, go to an allergist. Get prescription meds or start allergy shots,” the commenter continued. “There is also a cat food that decreases the allergens that cats produce that might help. And confining the kittens to her area of the house will help restrict allergens in the public areas.”